Londons Resurrection, Discourse 28
DISCOURSE XXVIII.
That the extirpation of fears and jealouſies (which ſadly abound) might contribute much to the building of the City.
IT goes to my heart to think, how people are tormented, (or torment themſelves) with endleſs fears, and jealouſies. They are ever and anon in ſuch frights, as if Hanibal were at the gates. How do they ſtart like melancoly people out of their ſleeps, ſcared with ſad dreams? Damps ariſe upon men (as they are ſaid to do upon thoſe that work in coalmines.
I would be no fomenter of ſuch fears, but am thought rather too ſanguine, too credulous of good news, and ſcarce in the number of thoſe wiſe men, of whom Solomon ſaith, that they foreſee the evil and hide themſelves. I had rather (as is ſaid of Abraham) in hope believe againſt hope, than be to ſuſpicious, at leaſtwiſe than to make others ſo.
It may be ſome envious men have ſowed theſe tares, I mean ſome that envy, and malign the building of the City, and do deſire to obſtruct it by making people afraid. For men are ſo poſſeſſed (I know not by whom) (my Soul enter not thou into their ſecrets) that they cry out: we ſhall ere long be invaded by the French, & other while we ſhall be maſſacred by the help of thoſe diſaffected forreigners which (ſay they) do ſwarm amongſt us, another while they cry we ſhall be burnt again: what pannick fears are theſe?
I wiſh we could out the head of this Nilus, thoſe fears I mean which like another Nilus overflow the land, but whence they ſpring I know not: whether the cauſe be that people are hardly come to themſelves, ſince the great and dreadful fire, or that our great ſurpriſe at Chattam, hath brought theſe fears upon men; or that thoſe many leſſer fires, which have hapned ſince the great one, have produced a habit of fear, or all of theſe together, or whither (as I ſaid at firſt) ſome do make it their buſineſs to terrifie Londoners, that they may have no heart to build. It is hard to ſay which of theſe are the true cauſe. But that which I mentioned laſt was the courſe which the enemies of Jeruſalem took to hinder the building thereof, Neh. 6.9. They all made us afraid ſaying, their hand ſhall be weakned from the work that it be not done, and v. 29. Tobiah ſent letters to put me in fear.
But let the cauſe be what it will, it is fit the cure ſhould be thought of: For fears and jealouſies have been of pernicious conſequence, and may be ſo again. Parents cannot indure to have their children frighted, leſt it bring them to convulſions, or make ſots of them. None ſo cruel as cowards, or frighted perſons, becauſe they are moſt impatient till they have made ſure of their enemies, Deſperation turns to valour.
It hath always been held good policy to ſecure a people againſt fears and jealouſies, though they were ſuch as did ariſe from their own miſtakes, and weakneſs. Achitophel taught Abſalom to make the people ſure of him, that he never would or could be reconciled to his Father David, and ſo leave them in the lurch, by counſelling him to lye with his Fathers Concubines, in the ſight of the people, 2 Sam. 16.20.
Was it not a meer jealouſie and miſapprehenſion which the Jews had entertained concerning Paul? viz. As if he taught the Jews which were amongſt the Gentiles to forſake Moſes, ſaying that they ought not to circumciſe their children, neither to walk after the cuſtomes, Acts. 21.21. yet Paul was adviſed to take it off (and did v. 26) We have four men which have a vow on them. Them take and purifie thy ſelf with them, and all may know that thoſe things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing, but that thou thy ſelf alſo walkeſt orderly, and keepeſt the law, v. 23, 24. God himſelf (ſuch is his condeſcenſion to this kind of weakneſs in men) hath provided all that may he againſt thoſe groundleſs fears, and jealouſies, as touching himſelf, and the ſatisfying of his promiſe (which is impoſſible for him to do) which our miſgiving hearts might expoſe us to. And therefore it is that he hath confirmed his promiſe with an oath, Heb. 6.18. God willing more abundantly (it was indeed ex abundanti for him ſo to do) to ſhew the immutability of his counſel, confirmed it by an oath, v. 19. That by two immutable things we might have ſtrong conſolation.
But the great difficulty will be, to ſhew how and by what means the fears, and Jealouſies of men (thoſe terrible names ſounding like Gog and Magog) may be prevented or extirpated.
To indeavour to tye the tongues of men, that whatſoever they think, they ſhould ſay nothing, would be a fruitleſs attempt, for out of the abundance of mens hearts their mouthes will ſpeak. That were at moſt but like the mowing of weeds, without plucking them up by the roots, which weeds would certainly ſpring again, faſter than ever they did before.
To tell men they have had many falſe alarms will not ſatisfie them neither, for ſo ſouldiers uſe to ſerve their enemies before they fall upon them in good earneſt; and ſo the ſheep in the fable heard it often ſaid that the Wolf was coming, when he was not: but yet he came at laſt when he was not lookt for. Some more effectual remedy muſt therefore be thought of, againſt the dangerous, and contagious diſeaſe of fears, and Jealouſies, than were either of the two former.
Were I worthy to caſt in a mite of advice in ſo arduous a caſe (which had more need of a Prieſt to ſtand up with Urim and Thummim to direct in it) I would ſay as followeth.
One way to take of fears and jealouſies, would be by manifeſting an univerſal, and impartial love to all ſober, peaceable and deſerving perſons, even from Dan to Beerſheba without reſpect of perſons, or parties, upon any other conſiderations. It is as natural for men to fear thoſe that they think do hate them, as it is to hate thoſe they are afraid of. If one part of a nation be Archers armed with bows and arrows, and another look upon it ſelf as not beloved, and therefore aimed at, ſo long fears and jealouſies will continue; whereas on the other hand we uſe to ſay, we could put our lives into their hands of whom we are confident that they do truly love us.
If perſons who are both in, and under authority, (as was the Centurion we read of) (who are indeed the eyes and hands of Princes) would pleaſe to manifeſt a conſtant care, and zeal for the publick good, ſuffering nothing to be wanting on their part, that might conduce to publick ſafety, giving no advantage to forreign or inteſtine enemies, by their cowardize, covetouſneſs or careleſneſs, committing no groſs miſcarriages and overſights, (like careleſs ſervants that leave their maſters doors wide open in the night time, that who will may come in and ſteal, if they will ſee that all be ſafely bolted and barred from time to time) I ſay if they pleaſe to do ſo, by that means for one; they may diſperſe fears and jealouſies, as the Sun doth ſcatter miſts. Timothy is much commended Phil. 2.20. For that he did naturally care for the ſtate of others, and they that ſhall do ſo, and be known ſo to do, will never be ſuſpected, they will adde to the hope and confidence of a nation, but never to their fears and jealouſies.
There is no better prevention, or cure of fears, and Jealouſies, than to win the hearts love, and affections of a people, otherwiſe ſubject thereunto: men are as unapt to fear thoſe whom they greatly love, as they are to love thoſe whom they are greatly afraid of: love is fearful of nothing but to offend, Perfect love caſteth out fear, viz. All that fear which hath torment accompanying it; and needs it muſt do ſo, becauſe it is founded in and upon the aſſurance of their love, whom we ſo love. The Apoſtle ſaith of charity, or love, that it is not eaſily provoked, that it thinketh no evil, rejoyceth not in iniquity but in the truth, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 1 Cor. 13. Thoſe very things that bring, or ſhall bring on love, will carry off fears, and jealouſies.
One good way to be truſted by others, is to truſt others, ſo far as in reaſon we may, Jealouſies beget Jealouſies, and ſome men will not, or cannot truſt, becauſe they are not truſted, as far as they think they might or deſerve to be. It is commonly found, that men are jealous of thoſe that are jealous of them, for men are jealous of thoſe that they believe do not love them, and they do not believe they can love them, who are much jealous of them. For perfect fear will caſt out love, as perfect love doth fear. On the other hand confidence begets confidence: it is an uſual argumentation amongſt men, why ſhould not we put confidence in ſuch and ſuch, as well as they put confidence in us? as if it were a piece of gratitude, and but juſtice to truſt thoſe that truſt us. Whereas on the other hand, men that will take no aſſurance from others, but what is more than enough, or than they can give; will be able to give no aſſurance to others that will be taken, and ſo jealouſies will be endleſly propagated by way of retaliation.
As good a receipt as any of the former for the cure of fears and jealouſies is this, viz. that perſons who have the unhappineſs to be generally ſuſpected, and ill beloved, (though poſſibly they may not deſerve it) ſhould have as little of the ſafety, and welfare of a nation committed to them as can well be, foraſmuch as the ſpirit of jealouſie, preſently comes upon people, when thoſe whom they are greatly prejudiced againſt (as being of a contrary religion, or otherwiſe) are choſen to places of eminency, either military or civil. An eye ſhould be had to thoſe who keep others in fear, as they that give out threatning words, cauſing the perſons threatned to go in fear of their lives, are or may be, bound to their good behaviour.
Laſtly, If the heats and indiſcretions of ſome men were lookt after, who ſometimes ſeem to ſymbolize with Papiſts in their peculiar doctrines, and then the people by ſuch preaching alarm'd, cry out with a loud voice Venient Romani, and who other whiles exaſperate their hearers with bitter invectives, putting them thereby into an expectation of nothing but trouble, and perſecution to …nſue after ſo threatning expreſſions, I ſay if men might not be ſuffered to harp upon thoſe ſtrings wherby an evil ſpirit is not laid but raiſed, or were narrowly watcht, that they ſhould no where turn pulpits into cock-pits, and come directly, and intentionally not to bring peace, but a ſword, a drawn ſword, inſtead of an Olive branch, but more eſpecially if Miniſters would every where come as perſons ſent of God to bring good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to comfort all that mourn, &c. By that means would the exaſperations of mens minds be gradually taken off, and their fears and jealouſies begin to go off, like the morning Cloud, and as the early dew.
Woe unto us that at this day we are all afraid one of another, and woe unto them that ſtudy to encreaſe our fears. When ſhall ſuch a promiſe be made good to us, as that in Micah. 4.4. But they ſhall ſit every man under his Vine, and under his Figtree, and none ſhall make them afraid.